While the first test flight for Ares V is slated for 2018, aerodynamic testing already is under way at the Marshall Center's wind tunnel test facility in Building 4732. Engineers at the Marshall Center are taking the first steps in developing the Ares V heavy cargo launch vehicle, which is the heavy lifter of America's next-generation space fleet for the Constellation Program. This schlieren photo depicts a wind tunnel test demonstrating air flow over the .331 percent model of the Ares V heavy cargo launch vehicle at Mach 4.5. Schlieren imaging is a diagnostic method used to visualize air flows with varying densities. It is widely used in aeronautical engineering to photograph the flow of air around objects. Marshall engineers are testing the stainless steel and aluminum model to collect aerodynamic data that will help the Ares V team determine basic requirements for guidance, navigation and control of the Ares V vehicle. Image Credit: NASA/MSFC

These tests will provide critical aerodynamic data in order to characterize the ascent trajectory of the vehicle and determine basic requirements for guidance, navigation and control for the Ares V vehicle.